The present invention is directed to a fuel distillation system for use in conjunction with an internal combustion engine.
In view of the ever-increasing shortage of conventional fossil fuels, substantial attention is being directed to preparing fuels by fermentation of biomass. For example, grains such as corn are converted by fermentation into a mixture of ethanol, water, and solid impurities.
A difficulty in utilization of alternate fuel sources produced by fermentation of biomass is the energy cost of recovering the alcohol from the product of fermentation. Fermentation normally produces a product containing only from about 10 to 15% alcohol content. A substantial portion of the heating value of any alcohol recovered by distillation is offset by the energy required to distill the alcohol from the water. This problem limits the value of alcohol as a fuel for use in the internal combustion engines of vehicles.
In view of this problem, there is a need for a method and an apparatus which permit the internal combustion engine of a vehicle such as a car to directly use the fuel of a product of fermentation without prior distillation.